


Demons

by RiviyanQuesta



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Past Abuse, Mentions of addiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2014-12-30
Packaged: 2018-03-04 08:18:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3036905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiviyanQuesta/pseuds/RiviyanQuesta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Cullen isn't the only one who needs help healing.</p>
<p>From the kink meme: http://dragonage-kink.livejournal.com/12149.html?thread=47411829#t47411829</p>
            </blockquote>





	Demons

**Author's Note:**

> Kink meme prompt:  
> "So I've seen plenty of some really great fills of the F!Inquisitor helping/being there for Cullen during his withdrawals and his past trauma in the Circle. But here's the thing: a Mage Trevelyan has also spent some time in a Circle and we know for a fact things aren't always peachy for Circle Mages.
> 
> So basically, I really would like to see a fill where our Mage Trevelyan has some past abuse of her own from the Templars in the Ostwick Circle and Cullen helps her through that. Heck, if the A!A wants to do it so the fill is both of them helping each other, that's great too! I just need more of supportive Cullen!"

They both have their demons. Ha. Demons. A turn of phrase that is entirely too applicable, uncomfortably, horribly applicable, to Cullen and the Inquisitor.

It's the figurative sort that they fight in the quiet times, the spaces in between big battles and adventures.

Lady Trevelyan, Genevieve--Jenny for short--spent most of her life in the Circle in Ostwick. Thus begins and ends the story of Jenny's life, as told by the lady herself. To, it seems, anyone. Rumours abound, of course, some plausible and some clearly impossible. (For her own part, Jenny seems to encourage only the most outlandish rumours.)

Cullen Rutherford, well, he's all too familiar with the story of his life. And Jenny is amazing. She nurses him through the worst of his lyrium withdrawal, mopping sweat from his brow and cooing soothing nonsense in his ear as he tosses and turns at night. He doesn't ask at the time why she's not sleeping at night, or how she seems to know exactly the most comforting thing to say or do when she sees his pain.

As time passes, and Cullen improves--he has more good nights than bad now--he starts to wonder. He knows very little about the Circle in Ostwick. It was better than Kirkwall, perhaps, but Cullen knows from experience that 'better than Kirkwall' is a very low bar indeed. Jenny deflects any questions about her past expertly, though Cullen supposes she's had a lot of practice. Everyone's curious, especially now that she's not only the Herald of Andraste but the Inquisitor, too.  
Still, Cullen pieces together enough. Jenny's unwavering support of the mages, the set of her jaw and the passion that flares in her eyes when she talks about mage independence. The brief flash of hurt and betrayal on her face when she talks to Vivienne but before she brusquely dismisses the enchanter from whatever meeting she's been sitting in. 

It comes to a head one night, however, one otherwise quiet night as they slept in the impossibly comfortable bed in Jenny's tower room.

She tosses and turns, her sleep troubled by a nightmare, though Cullen can only guess what fuels it. Maker knows they've experienced enough in the past few months to provide a lifetime of nightmares for any of them. Cullen considers waking Jenny, but before he can do more than reach for her, she awakens on her own. Her eyes are wild, disoriented, and it takes a moment before they focus on Cullen. 

In an instant, before Cullen can say anything--he's not as good at being the comforting one as Jenny is--there's a flash of light and a magical tingle as Jenny pushes him right out of the bed. He lands with a thud on the stone floor, a little shocked but otherwise unhurt. Jenny was always in such control of her magic, she must be truly panicked to lash out like that. Cullen shakes his head a couple of times and stands up.

Jenny's on the floor on the other side of the bed, peering over the edge, watching for Cullen's movement. When she sees him, she bursts into tears--the ugly, gulping, sobbing kind-- and begins a litany of apologies, though most of her words are difficult to understand through her crying. Cullen realises the imposing figure he must seem, even shirtless and still bleary from sleep, silhouetted against the moonlight from the wide windows, and he sits on the floor on his side of the bed.

"Inquisitor?" He hopes her title will help her focus, bring her back to the moment. "Jenny? It's all right. We're at Skyhold. You're awake."

She stops talking, and a moment later her tears have subsided to sniffles. "Cullen?" Her voice is thin, shaky. Their eyes meet over the top of the rumpled bedding for a moment before she looks away, turning so her back is leaning against the side of the bed. "I'm sorry." This apology is different than her previous, frantic apologies. "I had a... dream. A bad one."

"I know." Cullen tries to make his voice soothing, emulating the tones Jenny would use for him.

"No, you don't." Jenny bites off the words, and perhaps realises how harsh they sounded as she sighs before continuing, "No one does."

"You're right, I don't. You can tell me, Jenny."

She turns again, and studies Cullen's face for a moment before coming to a decision and crawling back into the bed, holding out her hand to Cullen, letting him know he's welcome, too.

She tucks herself into Cullen's arms, back to his chest, and after a few false starts, her voice breaking, she begins to speak.


End file.
